


Every Promise That Has Ever Been Made

by Ekala, kitarin



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Beach Holidays, M/M, Pre-Thor (2011), Sibling Incest, Summer, Surfing, summer of 1983
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2020-06-02 14:12:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19443061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ekala/pseuds/Ekala, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitarin/pseuds/kitarin
Summary: Loki had zero sympathy for the future king’s complaints for a multitude of reasons, but at the same time, it was rather unusual to hear his brother protest the trappings of his royal destiny quite so vigorously. Usually, he was far too eager to please their father’s whims or distractedly enamored by the enthusiastic audience at the feet of that golden throne to look up. In fact, this Thor, the Thor looking to slip out of those duties and into the shadows, seeking some fun, seeking some relief…  was a Thor he hadn’t seen in… far too long. And if it was trouble he was looking for, then the god of mischief would be happy to provide… especially if it meant irritating Odin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags to be added as chapters are uploaded.

If it wasn't his parents, it was some advisor or another. You'd think with over thirty years there'd be enough time, but they always seemed so panicked. If they didn't send off to the forges for the particular metal now, they couldn't have it in time to spend ten years shaping it just so. If he didn't make a decision about what wine he preferred, how were they ever expected to breed, plant, grow, mature, and perfect an entire crop in time?

Surely, Thor thought, there had to be better things to do with your time.

He'd managed to slip into the library between meetings without the cloud of advisors and admirers noticing, and he gave an audible sigh of relief. He needed to get away from all this. Preferably further than just the library, but if he had any luck the library meant his brother, and __that__ opened up a variety of interesting options.

"Loki?" he called out, as loud as he dared. Didn't want those in the hallway to hear him and drag him back.  
  
Thor’s voice echoed across the library to a secluded corner where Loki sat curled up in a favorite oversized armchair, one book open on his lap and several more on the table beside him. Even if his brother hadn’t called out, he would have known the visitor from presence alone, but he hesitated over whether to reveal himself. He wasn’t researching anything of particular importance at the moment – more rereading old favorite tomes and avoiding… well, everyone and everything.

Things had been on the distant end between them in the last decade or so, both of them going and coming as they tended to, and it had been awhile since they’d been home at the same time, and longer still since Thor had specifically sought him out. In the end, Loki’s curiosity weighed stronger than his desire to not be dragged into more coronation planning when they hadn’t even settled on a year yet, and he closed the book with an audible snap, letting the seidr keeping him hidden from view melt away.  
  
Ah, there he was. Thor headed for the source of the snap and beamed as he rounded the corner. Loki was lovely as always, the afternoon sun lighting his features just _so_ , and Thor had the passing thought that he couldn't remember the last time they'd been alone together. Surely it couldn't have been that long.

"Brother!" He shout-whispered, forced nonchalance quite evident, dropping onto the arm of the chair. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. Burying yourself in books again, I see?" It wasn't meant to be a judgement, but Thor had never really taken to the written word, and generally found the library to be a musty and dull place - a feeling that much of Asgard shared, if the usual attendance rate was anything to go by.  
  
“Not more than in passing,” Loki agreed lightly, easily sliding into jokes that were centuries old. “Father finally let you out of your gilded cage? Or are you on a break from being smothered by sparring in this oppressive summer heat?” He could feel the warmth emanating off Thor from this proximity, unsurprised that his brother had no qualms about inserting himself directly into Loki’s personal space at the first opportunity. Loki didn’t acknowledge it in words, though he did shift slightly so they could meet eyes. Despite their banter, despite how long it had been, Loki could read his brother well enough to sense that his easygoing demeanor was more of a front than usual and decided to humor him. “...or is there actually something on that empty-headed mind of yours?”  
  
"Smothered by" - and here he began ticking things off on his fingers - "weavers, armorers, tailors, winemakers, farmers, florists, politicians..." Thor sighed with quite the exaggerated heave of his broad shoulders. "I think I'd thank a bit of sparring even in this heat, honestly. I really don't care what alloy mixture they use for piece 927 or whether there should be three or nine floral cascades per column or whatever other inane question they've deigned to ask me this time."

"Which is why," he continued quickly, "I was wondering if you'd like to go on a bit of a trip. Somewhere..." Thor combed through his thoughts quickly. _What would work?_ Loki had always liked quiet seclusion versus the boisterous kinds of places Thor enjoyed, and Thor wasn't quite sure what to tempt him with that they would both enjoy. "...interesting?" he finished lamely, grinning again.  
  
Loki had zero sympathy for the future king’s complaints for a multitude of reasons, but at the same time, it was rather unusual to hear his brother protest the trappings of his royal destiny quite so vigorously. Usually, he was far too eager to please their father’s whims or distractedly enamored by the enthusiastic audience at the feet of that golden throne to look up. In fact, this Thor, the Thor looking to slip out of those duties and into the shadows, seeking some fun, seeking some _relief_ … was a Thor he hadn’t seen in… far too long. And if it was trouble he was looking for, then the god of mischief would be happy to provide… especially if it meant irritating Odin.  
  
“Define ‘ _interesting_ ’...” Loki drawled the word slowly over his tongue in the most unimpressed manner possible, one eyebrow slowly lifting, knowing that what Thor defined as such could vary wildly depending on his mood. “Or be far more convincing about your sudden and obviously _not_ pre-conceived plans.”

Thor couldn't help but smile wider. Loki was perhaps the only person on Asgard who wouldn't simply nod and agree with basically anything he said. He was pretty certain that some of the particularly dense ones that tended to follow him around and swoon when he so much as glanced their way would've jumped off the Bifrost if he'd told them to. His brother's challenges were always so much more entertaining.

"Midgard," he said suddenly, surprising himself. Thor had thought about it recently, though. "Go have a taste of the mortal life again. Remember what it's like to actually savor time rather than waste it." He continued gleefully as the thought continued to form. "I mean, it's not forbidden or anything. And it's not the first place anyone would think to look for us."

Oh, that grin definitely meant trouble and Loki was indeed intrigued by the answer. To be fair, he’d rather expected a more Asgardian response – a bar, a bedroom - but if Thor was thinking off-world, out of realm… he was absolutely trying to get out from under Odin’s shadow, even at the expense of his wrath. _One thing we’ll ever have in common, it seems_.  
  
“Not forbidden, but frowned upon,” Loki corrected him, hmming thoughtfully over the idea as if he hadn’t already made up his mind. “Not dangerous if we lay low, which is the last thing anyone expects of you these days. It’s not a _terrible_ idea, though, honestly, I really don’t understand why you’re so enamored with fleeting mortal life. Time is currency and they don’t have have much to trade on.”  
  
It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no, and in fact, it was really mostly a challenge to Thor _not_ to waste their time, if he was going to convince Loki to spend it.

"Well it's not about __them__ , exactly." Thor reached out to run a fond hand over Loki's cheek. "It's about us, and not spending our time on... nothing." The moment passed quickly as he continued, face scrunching sourly. "Like on yet another meeting. Did you know that some of our people actually __pride__ themselves on taking the span of a mortal lifetime to make simple decisions?"

Thor swept up, banishing the thought, and reaching down to help Loki out of his chair. "Come on, brother. It'll be fun. Surely we can still have a bit of impulsive fun together?" His mind was churning with the possibilities. He and Loki alone, with a bit of drink and a lot of unfamiliar scenery... yes, this would be quite a good time.

In Loki’s opinion, that was part of the problem with most Asgardians – their longevity led them to unflattering complacency. However, starting that discussion with his brother right now would only delay them escaping it, even if only for a short time. Loki’s gaze followed the hand that had grazed his cheek, traveling up one arm until he met Thor’s blue eyes, which shone brightly with that charismatic sparkle that everyone, begrudgingly including himself, found so difficult to resist.

“All in good fun?” Loki’s words were light, but there was something darker in the undertone as he accepted Thor’s hand and let the strength in that clasp pull him effortlessly to his feet. In all actuality, the decision had been made long ago, for if Loki hadn’t been in the mood to indulge his brother, he would have simply remained in the shadows.

Thor was far too excited over the whole endeavor to notice anything off at this point. "Absolutely!" he chimed, squeezing his brother's hand tight and leaning in conspiratorially. "Meet me in the side corridor by the gardens in ten minutes. I can fly us to the Bifrost from there without attracting attention."

He was too eager to even wait for a response, quickly striding back down and out of one of the library's side entrances towards his chambers to pack a very quick bag. The thrill of adventure was coursing through him like he hadn't felt in years. It wasn't an active defiance, he assured himself. He was just taking a... _respite_. If they needed a month to debate semi-tonal arrangements for exact mood enhancement, he could take a week or two to be with Loki.

That thought stopped him quite suddenly in the middle of his rush. Truly, when had they last spent time together? It didn't come to mind immediately and Thor felt a little ache open up in his chest. Once upon a time they'd been inseparable, but between the Warriors Three and Sif and all these infernal meetings, Thor had simply been too busy. No, not too busy - too distracted. He'd been neglecting Loki merely because he hadn't thought to make time.

Thor tightened the tie on his bag with a determined look. This little trip, impromptu as it may be, was about __them__. He'd make sure that Loki knew that, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support! It's quite inspiring.

For a long moment after Thor’s departure, Loki stood alone in the library and considered ruining his brother’s plan before it had even begun. Perhaps it was resentment, perhaps it was jealousy, perhaps it was just the simple desire to let Thor know exactly how it felt to be cast aside and let down… He imagined marching straight to their father and…  
  
And he couldn’t do it.  
  
Not even if getting Thor in trouble might win him some temporary favor with the old man.  
  
And certainly not because those two at odds wasn’t tremendously entertaining.

No, in the end, it was entirely something else. Not a chance he’d admit to it, but… Loki was exceedingly _greedy_. The idea of having Thor entirely to himself was simply too delicious to pass up, and he couldn’t help the giddy little vibration in his chest as he quickly gathered a few things into a small bag and waved them out of sight with a flick of his wrist.

The garden they’d agreed to meet in was an old favorite of theirs, a quiet and unfrequented corner they’d spent countless afternoons in, Loki reading aloud to Thor lazing with his head in his brother’s lap until the day’s light had faded out into dusk and they watched the stars instead. Loki couldn’t help but wonder if the choice had been purposeful or lucky, but the reminiscence was merely a distraction from being seized by the undercurrent of worry that Thor wouldn’t show up – that perhaps he’d been waylaid, gotten cold feet, or worse – only been playing a prank.  
  
But no. Thor was already there waiting, his face tipped back to enjoy the sun as he sat on their favorite bench amidst the flowering trees, and Loki froze mid-step, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding onto quite so tightly. “...Brother.”  
  
Thor smiled up at Loki, a bit more subdued than his previous grins. "Brother," he returned, fondly. "I was just... ah, nevermind." They'd have plenty of time for fond reminiscence once they'd gotten out of the easy grasp of their father.

"Well, shall we?" Thor stood and strode over, casually invading anything that could have been considered personal space as he wound an arm around Loki's waist, tugging him in tight. "Hold on," he murmured, grip tightening just a bit as he began to swing Mjolnir in a wide arc with the other hand. Carrying someone this way was not the easiest or most graceful thing, but it was definitely the fastest way to get to the other end of the Bifrost at the moment, together and hopefully unnoticed.

Besides, having Loki pressed up against him was a thrill of its own - one that he'd sorely missed, he realized, but there would certainly be plenty more opportunity for it shortly. Thor felt a pulse of excitement run through him at the thought as they took off, hurtling towards their escape.  
  
Despite fully expecting his brother to man-handle him without any warning, Loki still felt his heart drop into his stomach as they took to the skies, easily winding an arm around Thor in return. Though they’d traveled this way a multitude of times before, there was no other sensation quite like it and Loki couldn’t help but appreciate the familiarity of it, the wind in his hair, and a bird’s eye view of the golden city spread out below them, glittering in the midday sun. Beckoning beyond it was the rainbow bridge, the Bifrost, the rest of the cosmos -

_If we weren’t beholden to so-called destiny, where might we go?_

Loki’s thought was a wistful wisp, let go of almost instantly, despite how he could never quite accept the idea of its futility. There were other times for such idle daydreams and his mind needed to be sharply focused on the present and matters at hand if they were to succeed, for that great Beyond had a rather stubborn gatekeeper. Tipping his face up towards his brother’s, Loki spoke directly into Thor’s ear in a low, clear tone that was only mildly patronizing. “Given any thought to the next step?”

Thor couldn't help but to chuckle. "Not really." He hadn't exactly had the time. "Surely we'll be able to come up with something, brother?" Thor knew Loki could feel the grin in his words and he squeezed him a little tighter as they approached their destination.

Heimdall looked as immovable and unimpressed as he always did. He watched impassively as Thor landed them with only a step of extra momentum, making sure Loki had his feet under him before reluctantly letting go and turning to the gatekeeper with his most winning smile. "Heimdall!"

"It has been almost a century since I sent anyone to Midgard." There wasn't any suspicion in his voice, simply plain fact. Thor knew that he was going to know, but it was always unnerving.

"Yes, well, it'll just be for a bit. Not hardly long enough for us to get into any trouble." His smile faltered for only a moment as he glanced at Loki, looking for some support. Thor plastered the smile back on with an extra amp of shine, cursing himself for how bad he was at this. "Not that we were looking to get into trouble!"

Loki groaned inwardly, wanting to stomp on Thor’s foot if it would get him to shut up and cease digging himself a deeper hole with someone difficult to lie to in the first place, even if Heimdall was known to have a soft spot for Thor. Reason and some semblance of the truth, presented hand in hand with exactly the right twist, were far more likely to sway him into not dismissing them instantly, Loki wagered quickly. After all, in simple tunics and with no entourage, it was already rather obvious that they weren’t planning on storming any battlefields this afternoon.  


“The only trouble here is you and your ridiculous appetite,” he scoffed with a sigh, rolling his eyes at Thor and presenting Heimdall with an overly obliging smile. “Our future king is absolutely _consumed_ with the desire for some rare Midgardian food...” And here he elbowed Thor sharply, purposefully, to make it apparent that this was very much _his_ idea and not one of Loki’s bouts of mischief. “What was it called?”

"Ice eggs!" Thor blurted out immediately. The fact that he couldn't actually remember the name of what he was thinking of was entirely beside the point - he had to come up with something to make Loki's impromptu plan work, and if their blank stares were anything to go by, he needed to keep rolling. "In constitution and not shape, that is. An absolute delicacy!" He turned up the wide innocent eyes at Heimdall. "You know that I love those frozen treats, and Asgard simply has nothing of the sort. I suppose perhaps the summer heat is just getting to me!"

Heimdall just continued to look at them, and so Thor continued to ramble on. He was incapable of not filling the silence. "I wheedled my dearest brother here into coming with me because I felt we simply haven't had enough time together lately." That was the truth, at least. "What with all the preparations I've simply been so busy and--"

"Enough, my prince." Heimdall's voice was low and quiet as always but tinged with a fond exasperation. "To Midgard, as you request." He turned sharply to enter the Bifrost proper, setting the dials as they needed to be.

Thor felt the weight of scrutiny disappear and his earnest beaming grin returned full-force. He grabbed Loki's hand and began to tug him forward. "Let's go!"

The gesture was another old and familiar thing, Thor’s larger hand wrapped tightly around Loki’s own sparking vivid youthful flashbacks of the two of them running through hallways and forests alike, always causing or escaping some sort of mischief. “Unbelievable.” Loki muttered under his breath as Thor pulled them towards the light with carefree enthusiasm, his voice rising once the Bifrost grabbed hold and they were finally alone. “You flash those dimples like we’re only a couple hundred years old and he just lets you do as you please.”

"Oh, come now." The rainbow lights of space flashed by as they hurtled towards Midgard. He squeezed Loki's hand tightly. "It's nothing too out of the ordinary, he has no reason to stop us. Let's just be glad it worked!"  
  
The lights ended abruptly and the first thing Thor was aware of was a creeping, cold, wet feeling up to his knees. Then the smell hit. "Ah," he managed, gazing out upon the vast expanse of muddy greenery around them.  
  
Of course. Why would the Bifrost drop them somewhere convenient and tidy? A shudder of disgust rippled down Loki's spine as they sank into the thick muck of the marshland, the scent of ocean salt heavy in the damp air. "Glad? More like instantaneous regret."

Thor was almost inclined to agree, but his optimism won out after a moment. "The ocean must be close by! A quick dip in some clean water and we'll be just fine." He started to head off in a direction at complete random. "Heimdall must have put us just outside a settlement, you know the rules." The marsh mud would cover the runic imprint as well. Never without a reason, that one.

Loki was unsurprised that Thor would not be so easily dissuaded from their little adventure, but still let him take half a dozen steps before sighing out a response. "I know __every__ rule and __exactly__ how far I can bend it...and I also know that the ocean is the __other__ way."

Thor turned, grinning sheepishly and gesturing towards Loki. "Lead the way then, brother. It shouldn't take long." That was also just a guess, but he didn't think Heimdall would've left them too far astray.

Thick marsh reeds soon gave way to sea grass-laden dunes as the ground grew more solid beneath their feet and before long they'd reached enough of a rise in the terrain to find the road and a town in the short distance, glistening and wavering in the afternoon heat. "We've simply traded one summer for another," Loki muttered, grabbing Thor by the back of his shirt to tug him just off the road as a car went speeding by, a small red blur with a thumping bassbeat of overly loud music.

Thor stared at the car as it passed. The architecture and technology that they were beginning to see was startling. Humans had been well on their way to a half-decent society last time he'd visited, but perhaps it'd been even longer than he realized. "You don't think we'll stand out too much, do you?"

"You always stand out." Loki raised a skeptical eyebrow at his brother, but there was no chance he was going to own up to having been to Midgard far more recently than Thor via his own secret methods. "Still, it won't do to wander around dressed like home."

Having now reached the edge of the town, Loki nodded for Thor to follow him off the road and into the nearest sand-dusted parking lot, knowing if he played entirely the innocent next to his idiot brother, they were likely to get themselves into far more trouble than it was worth. Another larger vehicle with even larger wheels came careening into the lot as Loki hid them behind some dumpsters, several obnoxiously loud mortals tumbling out of it and into the nearby store while the last remaining plugged the car in for refueling. Loki studied them for a moment and then turned to Thor, a gesture of his hand sending a green light rippling over the both of them.

Thor tried not to shiver - the feel of Loki's magic on his skin was always a bit of a thrill. Looking down, he realized it had left him in a sleeveless white shirt and some tight blue pants while he'd clad himself in two fitted black garments. Thor rolled his eyes and held up his arms. "Really, brother? If the arm holes were any larger this'd be a tabard. These look like they're simply coming apart," he said, picking at the hems of the shorts which were fraying quite badly. "And somehow I doubt long and black is typical for the beach," he added, gesturing at Loki's own attire.

"It'll do to see us on our way," Loki strode past him, hating to admit that somehow his brother managed to make even the ridiculous and impractical mortal clothing look impossibly flattering. "Why, what color would you have me don? The palette right now is terribly garish." As if to prove his point, he let Thor's muscle shirt slowly slide from an eye-searing neon orange to a subtle mauve to a peachy-pink as they resumed their travel down the main road.

Thor watched in horrified fascination at the color change. They were getting closer to civilization and the street was beginning to get busier with foot traffic. "Still, I hardly think black is appropriate. Perhaps we should both just lose the clothes altogether," he mused, gesturing at a group of men wearing what barely counted as shorts in a loud variety of prints.

"Suit yourself," Loki shrugged and an instant later, Thor was left walking down the street barefoot in nothing but a tiny shred of red fabric as Loki let the color on his own clothing fade out into a pastel sea green, which did, admittedly, take in far less sunlight. "But I don't think you'll get very far if you want anything besides the ocean," he inclined a chin towards a sign on a nearby door that read in bold black letters:  
  
NO SHIRT  
NO SHOES  
NO SERVICE  
  
"It's no fun if you don't join me," Thor complained, glancing around at the myriad of shops that had surrounded them as they'd entered the commercial section of town. There were several shops selling shirts quite like the first one Loki had put him in, except they were all emblazoned with a variety of slogans or icons. A few more seemed to be selling what they were branding as "swimsuits" - though Thor wasn't sure what the point was, as they certainly didn't leave much to the imagination, and he couldn't believe they had any purpose beyond modesty.

Ah, but there - just around the corner was a store with some more proper clothing. Garish colors still reigned, but it was somehow more cheerful and less eye-searing. "How about we meet in the middle and go for that?"

Once again, Loki outfitted them at the same time, hoping this would be the last, each of them a pair of tan sandals and equally colored shorts, and on top, pairs of matching buttoned shirts with swirling floral patterns, Thor's in large red blossoms and Loki's in subtler shades of sage and aqua. To finish it, a pair of - as he'd picked up from one of many displays - sunglasses, each to match. Immediate relief from the bright light made him hum in satisfaction for the first time as he tipped them further up his nose with one finger, coming to a stop in the shade of an awning to examine their reflection in the glass storefront.  
  
Thor paused alongside him, inspecting them both and smiling. "Perfect," he murmured, slipping an arm around Loki's waist and leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, brother."  
  
"Now," he continued immediately, using his grip on Loki's waist to pivot and drag him towards the nearest doorway where he'd seen several people who looked like they were in for a good time enter. "Let's see if we can't get a bit of a drink. I'm parched, aren't you?"  
  
Thor's words of praise and the soft press of his lips against Loki's skin sent a pleased flush crawling down his neck that he really hoped remained unnoticed as he let his brother steer him into what was unmistakably a bar. "We have been walking out in the heat for a long while," he acquiesced, content to let Thor take the lead again now that they weren't in danger of being immediately rejected as unusual simply based on appearance.

Thor kept his arm casually slung around Loki as they entered. The bar was one long strip of driftwood and bottles of all sorts lined the back wall. Perfect. It also took roughly thirty seconds for a group of tittering girls to approach them, which was pretty much the plan. “You boys look like you could use a drink,” their leader said, even though all of them were looking at Thor.

Loki's pleased mood vanished almost instantly, despite the fact that this was obviously part of Thor's improvised plans. And why wouldn't it be? It made no difference whether they were in Asgard or Midgard or Vanaheim - Thor was the sun and people, especially women, were always drawn to his warmth, his strength, his charisma – Thor made friends as easily as breathing.

This would not be the first or the last time they hustled a room together.

Loki gently shrugged off his arm in a way that he knew Thor would read as _I’m going along with it, but I’m not thrilled_ , wordlessly agreeable to being his wingman for the moment, but not tolerant of simply standing in his shadow. “Positively… parched,” he deliberately sighed Thor’s earlier words as he glanced up at his brother.

Thor let Loki go reluctantly, smiling ruefully at him and turning it into a bright grin for the girls. "Parched! What's popular around here?"

"Well..." The girls chattered amongst themselves and flushed at the attention until one of them finally leaned in conspiratorially. Thor kept right in the act, leaning in as if he were about to hear a great secret. "I like a Slow Comfortable Screw." She fluttered her eyelashes at him and Thor just stared. "The Slippery Nipple is good if you like shots," another girl piped up, while a third rolled her eyes at both of them. "This place has the best Long Island Iced Teas on the beach, too."

Thor cleared his throat and plastered the grin back on his face after a moment. "I can't turn down a recommendation from such pretty girls, can I? I'll have the first one and my brother will take the tea." He sent Loki a pleading look as they led him to the bar.

It was tempting to leave Thor to his fate but he didn't actually want to leave his brother entirely unsupervised, so Loki accepted the invite and followed the group to the bar. He slid onto a stool beside him, thoroughly amused by watching Thor's face as the gaggle of flirtatious girls continued to give him delightfully crude suggestions that only Midgardians could be crass enough to use as drink names.

_o/~ Some of them want to use you… Some of them want to get used by you… ~/o_

Though it was warm inside the bar, the fans overhead kept the air circulating enough to not feel smothering and the noise level of the patrons competed with the nearby radio, lyrics occasionally cutting through the chatter of the girls attempting to engage his brother. Loki was grateful when the ice cold glass was finally slid down the bar towards him and he held it between his hands for a moment before lifting it to his lips.

_o/~ Sweet dreams are made of this - Who am I to disagree?  
_ _I travel the world and the seven seas… Everybody's looking for something… ~/o_

“Tea” turned out to be, though Loki was no expert on Midgardian drinks, a fairly pleasant mix of multiple types of alcohol that slowly settled into a hot pool in his gut as he carefully sipped from the glass. This deliberate act kept him from being dragged into multiple rounds and left him time to scan the room, which is why he noticed the small group of men at the other end of the bar eyeing Thor up long before they decided to finally sidle in his direction.

"Hey."

Thor was two or three fruity drinks in, much to the delight of his patrons, before the gruff voice dragged him out of the way he was pleasantly driving himself towards a delightful tipsiness. He turned to see a group of a few burly men bearing down on him, obviously quite unimpressed. "You think you can just walk in here and take all the girls yourself?"

The only real trick in the situation was to turn the tension away from a brawl and towards a wager, for there were always men with egos… and certainly no Midgardian who could ever hope to drink Thor under a table. Let a wager for rounds of drinks lead to quiet under the table bets. It was entirely easy.

Too easy, in fact.


	3. Chapter 3

  


Loki's hastily conjured wallet was thick with bills and Thor's belly was overly full of beer. By most metrics, it could have been deemed a very successful venture. But the bills were small, the sun had already set, and they were lacking a place to stay for the night, so Loki was still rather unimpressed and beginning to grow impatient with their lack of a plan.

"That stuff is just __awful__ ," Thor complained as he leaned heavily on Loki and they stumbled down the street. "Light beer. There must be some evil force at work there." It hadn't stopped him from drinking several barrels of the stuff, of course. The bartender had put a stop to their contests when he began to run out, pleading that he still needed inventory for the rest of the week.

“One would never guess judging by how much of it you managed to down,” Loki chided him, feeling a little warm and loose himself, tucked underneath Thor’s arm to support him as they walked. The road through town dead-ended into a wooden-plank walkway that ran along the shoreline, but in the darkness, Loki could only barely make out the white foamy crests of waves he could hear crashing in the distance. “But if all you wanted was for us to drink ourselves into oblivion, we could have skipped the muddy hike and stayed at home, where our own beds would not be far from our so-called revelry.”

Thor laughed, a little louder than he meant to. "I know you enjoy being out from under the gaze of the Kingdom, you can't lie to me." He swayed as they continued down the way, squinting at some of the buildings. Surely one of them had to be an inn. "Where you can do as you please." He chuckled again, leaning heavily on Loki. "Or am I just keeping you from your usual mischief?"

“I _always_ do as I please,” Loki’s eyes twinkled for a moment as he gave his brother a sly little grin, but it was there and gone in an instant, swiftly followed by a sigh. “And while there may be certain advantages to being out and about incognito, securing accommodations is not one of them.” Spying a neon sign of _VACANCY_ on the next building, Loki inclined his chin towards the door as he continued in a bored tone, “...or am I incorrect in assuming you intend to spend the night on this little adventure of yours?”

That tone, that look, sent a shiver down Thor's spine and it took him a moment to tune back into the conversation. "Yes," he murmured, almost falling on top of Loki as he crowded him against the nearest wall, burying his face in Loki's neck and just breathing deep. "We should.... spend the night."

Loki could feel Thor’s breath against his neck, his lips just barely grazing skin as he spoke and Loki swallowed hard, letting one hand shift to tangle in Thor’s hair, though whether to pull him closer or push him away was hard to tell. Were those words just an innocent echo of his own? Did Loki want them to be? Pinned between his brother and the wall, it was harder to convince himself it meant nothing. Harder to crush the foolish hope they might tread this dangerous line again after spending so long letting things drift between them. Loki knew he was overthinking, as he was always prone to, and it was taking him too long to answer such a simple statement. “If the alternatives are you sleeping on my shoulder here or being forced to carry you back to the Bifrost in this state, I’m inclined to agree.”

 _Stars,_ _it’s_ _been too long._ The scent of Loki, his hand in Thor’s hair - and more than any of that, the hesitation before his brother’s comeback, which told Thor all he needed to know about the effect he was having - was rousing feelings he was no good at ignoring. “No worries, I’m quite awake now.” Thor pressed closer, hands starting to shift towards Loki’s waist, and he mouthed up the line of Loki’s neck until he could feel his brother’s pulse thrumming under his lips.

There was no mistaking the intent in Thor's actions this time and Loki's breath caught in his throat, his hand fisting tighter in his brother's hair as all the skin on his arms started to stand on end. When he spoke again, his words were sharp and measured,"What part of you is awake, now?" And before Thor could answer or find some other way to get under his skin, he'd dragged his brother's face away from his neck by his hair, twisting under and out of the circle of his arms. "Stay here and I'll see about acquiring a room."

Thor watched Loki go stalking off into the building, the taste of him still on his lips. His body tingled with the overly warm mixture of alcohol and arousal, making the cool night air feel suddenly uncomfortable. After a long moment he sighed and twisted around to lean his back against the wall, staring up at the stars. Perhaps he could blame the drink, but it didn’t change the feeling that he _want_ _ed_ Loki. He deeply begrudged the distance that had formed between them over the years, due at least in part to the illicit nature of their relationship, but that had never really changed how he felt about his brother. Being here alone with Loki, Thor felt freed from the burden of secrecy and the weight of the throne that kept them distant, caught up in the idea of doing what he _pleased_ instead of what he ought. It was a side of him that no one but Loki brought out, and even if he did not want to admit as such out loud, he knew it was at the root of why they were here.

The lobby of the little beach motel was completely deserted at this late hour, but the radio was humming softly and a sign designated that someone could be summoned via a small golden bell. Gifted with the quiet moment alone to collect himself, Loki leaned against the edge of the counter and glanced back over his shoulder through the glass door to his oblivious brother, who by profile he could tell was now watching the stars.  
  


_o/~ Every single day, every word you say,  
every game you play, every night you stay ~/o_

  
Loki hated himself.  
  
He Hated Thor more.  
  
Wanted him more than he hated him.  
  
Hated that he wanted him at all.  
  
Knew that every time they fought, every time they chased, every time they gave in, every time one of them stepped over that invisible line, they were just starting the circle all over again, just making it _harder_ -

Loki’s hand snapped out suddenly and hit the bell with one loud smack that rang sharply in his own ears, forcibly interrupting his own spiral.  
  
  
_o/~ Every breath you take, every move you make,  
every bond you break, every step you take ~/o_

  
A startled older man popped his head out from the back room with complaint in his eyes, but upon seeing Loki’s dark expression and clenched fistful of bills, promptly decided that handing off a key as quickly as possible and getting back to Late Night with Letterman was in his best interest.

“Room 209,” Loki intended to say brusquely as he reappeared at Thor’s side, but instead the words came out soft and bit weary instead as he tucked himself under Thor’s arm again to pull him off of the wall. “Do _not_ make me carry you up the stairs.”

Thor just laughed softly, letting Loki direct him towards the stairs. He entertained the idea of carrying his brother up the stairs instead - entirely possible, even in his inebriated state - but decided he liked having Loki tucked up against his side better at the moment. They were both silent on the way to their room, and Thor could tell Loki was tense. He started to rub his hand soothingly up and down Loki's arm, humming a wandering tune, reasoning that it was just a pinch of nerves and that it'd all be fine once he could distract Loki properly.

That easygoing lacking-a-plan nature of Thor’s was so deeply the antithesis of Loki’s tendency to plot out multiple contingencies for every situation that it grated on him. He supposed he could simply outright ask Thor what he was after here, but unless he was intending to pick a fight over the possible answers, what was the point? If he let down his guard for long enough to ask _himself_ what he wanted, the answer would always be the same… and wasn’t that why he’d taken Thor up on his offer of escape to begin with?  
  
Loki fit the key into the lock and nudged the door open with one foot, flicking the switch on the wall with an elbow before wriggling the key free again and tossing it on the nearby table. The single lamp in the corner flickered to life, illuminating the cracked ceramic tile floor, a door that likely led to a bathroom, and a single ‘double’ bed in the center of the room that hardly seemed large enough for one person, let alone two. “A decidedly dismal dump,” he wrinkled his nose as he shrugged off Thor’s arm and stepped further into the room. “But I suppose we’ve dealt with worse."

"Definitely better than camping," Thor agreed, shutting the door behind them. "I'll bet it has a great view, when we can see it." Honestly, the room itself mattered little. Thor stepped in behind Loki, winding his arms around Loki's waist and setting his chin on his shoulder. "And it has you."

"Consider yourself lucky indeed," Loki sassed him, but there was no malice in his teasing as his hands slowly covered Thor's where they rested. "I could have gone home ages ago and I think perhaps you wouldn't have even noticed."

"I am," Thor began, nosing up the side of Loki's neck again and kissing him gently on the ear, "the luckiest man in all the realms." He gently lifted Loki just enough to carry him over to the bed and fall over onto it, keeping his chest pressed to Loki's back as they bounced on the cheap mattress. "So lucky to have you..." he murmured, one hand still tight around Loki's waist as the other palmed heavily up his side.

"Thor-!" Loki gasped in protest, his cheeks coloring at the sentimental words against his ear, but it was far too late to stop his brother from man-handling him. This, too, was all something they'd done since they were young - tease, play-fight, stay up half the night, find any excuse to fall asleep in the same bed - but even as he settled back against the reassuring warmth enveloping him, Loki grumbled under his breath, "...you're the worst."

Thor smiled at the familiar jab, hand dipping down to run over the inside of Loki's thigh as he pressed his lips to Loki's neck again. He couldn't quite remember how he usually answered that one, words escaping him at the moment, entirely too comfortable now. Really, he could almost just drift away... A moment later, Thor's movements slowed, and then stopped. His breathing evened out to a steady lull. He had definitively fallen asleep, draped around Loki, and was entirely unlikely to wake anytime soon.

“...the absolute worst...” Loki murmured softly as he felt Thor’s telltale snore in his hair, and only then did he pull his brother’s hand to his lips, fondly kissing each fingertip one by one.

As tempting as it was to stay within the circle of Thor’s arms, his touch had left Loki buzzing on the inside in a way that would keep him from being able to sleep just yet. Lifting Thor’s arm, he slipped gently out of his grasp and rolled off the bed and to his feet in one smooth motion. He moved to lock the door, leaning against it, tipping his head back with a sigh as he scrutinized their surroundings. Certainly a little magic would soothe his mind, burn off the heat in his blood...

Firstly, he plucked one saved bill of the paper money they’d accumulated earlier that evening out of his wallet and laid it flat on the little table by the door. There was a notepad emblazoned with the hotel’s name, which would do nicely for duplicating some currency for tomorrow. Something would need to be done about that tiny, lumpy bed, as there was no way they’d get any decent sleep otherwise...

Slowly the room came to life around Loki as he worked, melting and blurring, shifting and re-aligning until he was edging on exhaustion and somewhat satisfied by the end result. Thor hadn’t stirred for even a moment, but when Loki finally slid back into his arms just before dawn, he subconsciously tugged him in close. With the hint of a smile playing on the trickster’s lips at what his brother’s reaction would be, Loki let himself drift off knowing that there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the delay. Last week, Ekala's car slid in the rain, ran into and up a tree, and then flipped over. Thankfully, the car was the only thing broken, but it (hospitals and insurance and parents and car shopping and-) threw us off our groove for a few days.
> 
> We coped by turning everything into (in)appropriate awfully wonderful Thorki jokes:
> 
> Tch. Cars. Don't you know that the only thing allowed to kill you is me, Brother?  
> Can't even control a little storm? Some God of Thunder.  
> The only reason I'm not stabbing you for this is... because I'm glad you're not dead.
> 
> And of course, in retaliation: Don't worry... I'm still here, Brother.
> 
> Forgive us, it's been a hell of a week.


	4. Chapter 4

Consciousness came back to Thor slowly and in pieces. First, the low roar of waves mixed with the quiet murmur of a crowd, both close and infinitely distant. Then, the smell of salt mixed with the scent of Loki, closer still, and, finally, the plush of the soft bed beneath him. After a moment of thought, he was confused enough by that last point to shift, blinking his eyes open into the light of the morning.  
  
White greeted him. Gauzy curtains surrounded the wrought iron canopy bed, which a quick glance confirmed was also far bigger than the one he’d bounced them into last night. Thor remembered enough of the room they'd been in to know that this open and airy space couldn’t possibly be the same… But the sound of the sea was definitely still right outside the window and Loki was still tucked under his arm, sleeping peacefully. Perhaps his brother had refined his magic more than Thor had even realized, if he'd managed all this?  
  
In any case, if Loki was here, then there was no cause for alarm. Thor noted that his brother had also done away with their garb from yesterday in favor of sleepwear; green silk for Loki and red shorts for him. Thoughtful, he mused, settling back in around Loki and pressing soft kisses along his neck.

Loki grumbled faintly in response, though he couldn’t hide the way it made the hair on the back of his neck rise to be woken by Thor’s lips against his skin in such a sensitive spot. “...too early,” he mumbled, jabbing a bony elbow back into his brother’s ribs, still not entirely forgiving the drunken oaf for passing out on him last night.

Thor chuckled even as the pain lanced up his side; he probably deserved that. Well, if Loki wasn't in the mood, Thor wouldn't push him. He gently slid out of bed and onto the pristine tiled flooring, taking a peek out the window at the sunny day outside. The beach was just barely visible from here, a hint of blue and tan between some of the other small buildings teasing him from a distance. Thor couldn't help the tingle of excitement that ran through him.  
  
Putting that thought aside for just a moment, he padded across the room, enjoying the quiet sort of luxury Loki had employed in his redecoration. Everything was clean white lines and polished light-colored wood, quite unlike the rich dark tones his brother usually favored, but far more fitting for a beach style. He'd apparently even thought to put in a lovely little trickling waterfall fountain, but no larder, and so Thor's next action was clear.  
  
After a quick wash, Thor redressed in a flash, copying what Loki had conjured yesterday. Loki still seemed to be slumbering peacefully, so Thor just left him with a gentle kiss in his hair, grabbing part of their new stack of bills and the key on his way out.  
  
Loki was in fact not entirely out, but too sleepy to be bothered over what his brother was doing until he registered the soft click of the motel’s door. A momentary note of panic almost spoiled his drowsiness, but he squashed it as quickly as it came – he knew his brother, and Thor would not abandon him over one small (deserved) rebuff. He was never so easily deterred, for they were alike both in their stubborn mindsets and their thrill in the chase.  
  
Rolling over into his brother’s vacant spot where the faint warmth of his presence still lingered, Loki ensconced himself in the pile of fluff and allowed himself the pleasure of not worrying about anything until Thor’s inevitable return.

It only took Thor a few minutes to find something reasonable at one of the many little stands along the waterfront, and he enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the slight breeze as he awaited his order. He found he couldn't wait to have Loki out here with him, to go enjoy the surf and sand together. And even if Loki wasn't willing to entertain other pursuits, Thor was certain they could still have a good time together.

...Not that he'd given up on said pursuits yet.

He crept back into the room not even a half hour later with a paper bag smelling of meat and grease in his hand, which he deposited neatly on a table before sitting on the bed beside the lump that must still be Loki.

"Brother, I've brought breakfast," he sang in a hopeful little voice, running a hand up something that was probably the line of Loki's side. Well, maybe. There was a lot of blanket.

With a little more time to doze (and to maybe-just-the-tiniest-bit start to miss his brother), Loki was a bit less prickly this time around. “Oh~?” Besides, they’d never eaten a proper dinner the previous night and he couldn’t deny that the smell of food was enticing.

Pulling the blankets away from his face to blink up at his golden brother in a halo of equally golden morning light was almost too much to handle... and then _entirely_ too much when he realized by Thor’s teasing grin that he knew how easily he could lure Loki out this way.  
  
Such coddling always embarrassed him because... secretly, he adored it. And not so secretly, Thor knew it, and always took advantage.

It was at once irritating and endearing how easily they could play one another. With a perfected Heavy Sigh, Loki shuffled himself to a sitting position before holding out a regal hand. “A proper tribute for, and bought with, my fine late night work, am I to assume?”

"The vendor assured me this is the breakfast of champions," Thor rumbled, turning back to extract his prize from its bag. What he handed Loki was evidently a sandwich of sorts, a round bread stuffed with egg, cheese, and an unidentified meat. "They certainly seemed hearty enough." He procured his own and took a bite without preamble, the smell having haunted him all the way down the street. The thumbs up he gave was full of enthusiastic approval.

Loki accepted the greasy mess into both hands, inspecting it a little before nibbling a far more cautious first bite. “A bit overly salted, but honestly, more palatable than its appearance would suggest.” In fact, it was hard to tell what was more satisfying – finally having something warm and filling in his stomach or watching Thor devour his own sandwich with such carefree joy. “I do think I’ll need something to drink after this, though. And _not_ anymore of that rubbish ale from last night.”

Thor lit up, polishing off his sandwich quickly just so he could talk again. "There are carts that sell these fruit concoctions that seem to be quite popular. Both with and without alcohol." Thor himself was not quite ready to embark on another boozy adventure as of yet. "The day is simply perfect out, sunny and warm, but with a touch of a breeze. The ocean is just over the next hill." His enthusiasm beamed out of him. "We should go as soon as you're ready, if we're to beat the noonday heat."

Loki was tempted to tease his brother and pretend like he was ready to return home after how the previous night had gone, but Thor’s genuine enthusiasm coupled with his own curiosity proved a powerful combination. He still took his sweet time finishing breakfast, carefully licking each fingertip clean before giving Thor an actual answer. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind a stroll down by the water... and something refreshing and fruity sounds like the perfect complement.” Loki rolled away from Thor and out of his side of the bed, seidr shimmering over him to transform his silk back into the floral affair from the previous day. “Shall we, then?”

Thor's eyes were riveted on Loki's tongue for a long moment, and his heart fluttered as Loki's seidr skimmed delicately over pale skin again. His brother could be such a tease, even when he was being particularly agreeable. Thor couldn't help but loop one arm companionably around Loki's waist and press a kiss to his temple, humming contentedly.

"Yes, let's," he answered as he slid away, as he was quite serious about the beach despite other inclinations. "Follow me!" Thor whirled out the door, only just checking that Loki was actually following before sweeping down the stairs and towards the nearest fruit stand to get two of their most outrageous concoctions.

Loki shook his head at Thor’s impatience as he stopped to place the _Do Not Disturb_ sign on their doorknob, as he certainly didn’t want any of the hotel staff to stumble upon his edits to their accommodations.  
  
The building they were staying in wasn’t exactly on the beach, but that was only because the wooden walkway separated it from sand dunes that eventually gave way to the ocean. From the second floor, now that it was daylight, Loki could look up and down the coastline and see many open stands and signs along this designated ‘boardwalk’ hawking their wares and offering games of chance. In the distance, a pier extended out to the water and a large wheel turned at the end of it, offering passengers a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area.  
  
Thor was already across the boardwalk at one of many stands and Loki took a moment to admire the view, but somehow his brother seemed to feel Loki’s eyes upon him because he turned and offered another beaming, _knowing_ grin up at him. Suddenly, Loki was the one hurrying down the stairs, his strides wide as he crossed the boardwalk to join Thor in his quest for tropical drinks.

Just as Loki reached him, the man at the stand handed over two overly-large drinks in neon pink and green. Thor thanked him jovially, turning to hand the green one to Loki with that same easy grin. "Something fruity and non-alcoholic, as requested. Cheers?"

“Cheers.” Amused at the pointed choice in colors, Loki accepted his plastic drink and clunked it against his brother’s as he glanced at the sign. “Smoothie, hmm?” The icy drink felt good in his hand and even more refreshing going down, a sweet and tart blend of fruits that tickled his tongue in a rather delightful way. “How’s the pretty pink one?” he teased Thor over his shoulder as he wandered away from the stand and towards where the buildings on the boardwalk gave way to an open section of railing and a staircase down to the beach.

"Delicious," Thor said after downing a good third of it in one go, following Loki towards the beach. The weather really was just perfect, and Thor was certain that the ocean would be a wonderfully crisp contrast to the beating sun. "So, brother," he started after a moment, still sipping on his drink. "What would _you_ like to do today?"

Loki let his eyes drift over the mortals enjoying their day at the shore. Some were sunbathing, others were playing games with balls or flying colored kites overhead, and despite the fairly early hour, plenty were tumbling in the surf or wading out past where the waves were breaking to float on the surface of the sea. One particular sight caught his eye and a playfully impulsive idea struck him, which he found absolutely no reason not to entertain. “What if...” he started coyly, taking another sip of his drink and watching his brother from under his eyelashes. “...I wanted _you_ to do something?”

Thor knew that look meant trouble, which of course intrigued him. "Your wish is my command," he said, finishing his drink quickly and shaking a finger at his brother. "The usual rules apply, of course." No showing off their powers to the locals and nothing that would hurt anyone.

There were so very many things Loki could do with a statement like that. His brother really ought to more careful with his words. Or… perhaps he really _was_ looking for trouble? The day was young yet, but for the moment, Loki stayed true to his original intention despite the temptation. “I want to see you do _that_.” He pointed out to the ocean where several mortals were attempting to glide over the surface of the water on long colorful boards before turning his gaze up at Thor, challenge evident in his bright green eyes.

Thor looked out at the water, studying the activity carefully for a moment before looking back at Loki with a raised brow. He felt like there had to be more to Loki’s request than it seemed, but the activity did certainly look interesting. "If you'd like. We'll see what I can do." He scanned up and down the boardwalk for somewhere to start as he drew their money out of his pocket and split it. "Find somewhere nice to watch, hm?" He winked as he handed over a stack and then he was off, heading towards the nearest store that had some of the boards in the window.

Loki rolled his eyes at the wink, but couldn’t help but be pleased that Thor was so readily indulging his suggestion. It was bound to be entertaining. He was also honestly glad to be freed of the responsibility of sorting out the equipment, but hoped that Thor wouldn’t get himself into too much trouble on his own.

In the meantime, he made his way down onto the beach, easily renting an umbrella and a chair from one of the many stands dotting the stretch of golden sand. He didn’t want to stray too far from where they’d parted ways, but he walked along the shoreline until the throngs of small children thinned, to an area that he now realized was specifically marked off for “Surfers Only”. Under the shade of his rainbow umbrella, Loki kicked off his sandals and sank his feet into the warm sand as he settled into his chair to listen to the soothing crash of the waves.

It only took a few minutes for Thor to reappear, now clad in a sleek and skin-tight type of black garment that seemed to be favored by many of these surfers. His brother’s physique was impressive and definitely attracted attention as he trailed after a bulky, muscled woman, both hefting their own boards. Thor's was a truly obnoxious red, of course, with – Loki leaned forward in his chair with a soft scoff of disbelief to double-check – a big yellow thunderbolt emblazoned across it. Thor scanned the beach as he walked and when he caught sight of Loki, he waved enthusiastically. Loki lifted a hand in greeting while chiding him with a slow head shake, and even if he couldn’t hear it from this distance, the lift of his brother’s shoulders gave away that Loki’s response was making him laugh.

The instructor insisted upon some sort of lessons before even getting into the water, and quickly boring of watching them mime swimming on dry land, Loki waited until he was certain no one was paying him any attention before swiftly summoning the tome he’d been reading in the library yesterday. He’d been quite far into his re-read and was eager to return to it, and by the time he looked up again, his brother and the woman were wading out into the ocean with their boards.

Over the last hour, the beach had grown much more crowded while the surfers had actually thinned out, and a group of rowdy adolescents had spread out their blankets too close for Loki’s comfort. His glare did little to deter their loud chatter or their overly large sound system that was blasting some obnoxiously cheerful, twangy music, and Loki gave up on finishing his book, instead turning his focus to Thor.

_o/~ Don't be afraid to try the greatest sport around (Catch a wave, catch a wave)  
Everybody tries it once  
Those who don't just have to put it down  
You paddle out turn around and raise  
And baby that's all there is to the coastline craze  
You gotta catch a wave and you're sittin' on top of the world ~/o_

His brother’s first few attempts to stand up on the surfboard were delightfully comical and Loki snickered in amusement watching him fall gracelessly off of it and crash into the water every which way, but after awhile, Thor finally managed to halfway catch a wave while kneeling. Something about the success seemed to encourage him, and a few rides later, Thor was smoothly changing positions onto his feet, standing for twenty or thirty seconds at a time.

Satisfied with his progress, Thor and his instructor parted ways, leaving him to continue practicing on his own. Thor attempted to beckon Loki towards the water once he was alone, but Loki waved him off, content to continue watching while he had the easy excuse. Thor really did look both graceful and powerful as he continued to improve, and though he fell as often as he was successful, it didn’t deter him from tirelessly climbing up and trying again.

Between the loud music, the scorching midday sun and the crash of the waves, Loki caught himself drifting off a little and wondered if perhaps it was time to drag his brother out of the ocean and seek out a midday meal. His eyes scanned the waves, searching for Thor, finding his brother just in time to watch him “wipe” - as he’d picked up the lingo from the loud neighbors – most spectacularly. The board shot out from under him as Thor went crashing into the surf once more, and Loki laughed again, waiting for him to surface with the same goofy grin.

Waited-

Waited--

It was too long. Loki knew _very_ well how long his brother could hold his breath and this was really starting to feel worrisome.

Even as he tried to calmly remind himself that Certainly the God of Thunder couldn’t be taken out by one rough tumble into the sea, Loki was rising from his beach chair. He started towards the water with a walk that became a jog within a few steps and then an all-out run, straight into the surf until he was knee-deep, uncaring that he was still fully dressed, scanning the water as he shouted. “Thor?!”

Waves crashed around Loki’s hips as he waded out even further, his pulse picking up in a panic as he reached the red surfboard being carried to shore by the current and found nothing attached to the end of its safety cord.

Loki shouted Thor’s name again, feeling his own heartbeat in his ears, louder than the ocean.

He could and would use magic to search for Thor if forced, but the amount of trouble that could potentially bring them was not something he took lightly. Still, with every second that passed, his over-active mind painted him an increasingly gruesome image of his brother having cracked his head on the ocean floor, possibly bleeding, possibly unconscious, possibly drowning, and it was all his fault for suggesting this in the first place and Loki suddenly felt like he was the one drowning instead.

“Brother!” he choked out desperately, up to his chest in choppy waves, his seidr beginning to glow at the tips of his fingers.

And then a hand closed around his ankle, yanking him off-balance and swiftly dragging him under the waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *brushes off the dust*
> 
> This was accidentally put on hiatus when we joined the Thorki Big Bang last summer and wrote Comeback, which took about 6 months to do. But we've always wanted to finish this one and Kit finally had the chance to sit down and outline the remaining chapters. Please look forward to the overwrought summer shenanigans of two Asgardian princes/brothers/ex(?)-lovers who've snuck out of the kingdom and landed themselves on the American seashore in the summer of 1983.


	5. Chapter 5

Loki was angry.

Oh, he was absolutely _furious_.

This was really the sort of thing _he_ would have done if their situations had been reversed. Playing on heartstrings to pull a prank? This was _exactly_ his style of mischief, as if his idiot brother had all but _stolen_ it from his own playbook.

And he’d fallen for it _completely._

Thor’s hand tightened around Loki’s ankle with a grip of steel as he dragged him under the water and Loki played along just long enough to confirm his assessment, fighting his hold, kicking and thrashing. Thor reached out with a second hand and attempted to pull Loki closer, but Loki would not be caught so easily.

In the green flash of light under the murky water, Thor could make out his brother’s piercing eyes for a heartbeat before he suddenly shape-shifted into a snake and slipped right out from from his grasp.

But in doing so, Loki had also broken their mutual _No Magic in_ _Midgardian_ _Public_ pact.

And Thor _hated_ losing.

The God of Thunder let loose the tiniest spark of his lightning to chase after his little brother, shocking Loki in his vulnerable state and forcing him to transform back.

They came up spluttering for air, Thor laughing, Loki fuming, but before either could even get a single word out, an enormous wave crashed over both of them, knocking them off their feet and sweeping them back under again.

Electrocuted and with hardly a chance to grab a breath, Loki tumbled hard with the current, suddenly uncertain what way was up or down, but then Thor’s hand was around his wrist this time, hauling him back to the surface. The water broke and the sky was so intensely _blue,_ the same hue as Thor's concerned eyes, and Loki dragged in a ragged breath. “What the fuck were you thinking?” he rasped, hitting Thor in the chest half-heartedly, but there was a smile playing on his lips.

“I wanted you to come in the water with me!” Thor protested instead of apologizing, unable to keep the note of gleeful pride out of his voice for having managed to find a way to succeed in getting Loki out here.

Another wave was rolling rapidly towards them, but this time they jumped it together, feet leaving the sandy floor as they floated weightlessly over the top of it, kicking out just beyond the break line as they came down.

Thor’s hand was still tight around Loki’s wrist and the moment his feet hit solid ground again, he dragged Loki towards him. Sliding his other hand around the back of his brother’s neck, he appreciated the startled expression on Loki’s face just before yanking him up and into a salty, messy kiss.

The kiss tasted disgusting, but Thor’s tongue was hot and insistent as it dragged deep along his own, igniting the smoldering ember in Loki’s chest.

When had they last kissed like this?

Loki could lie to himself and say that he didn’t remember exactly _whe_ _n_ or _whe_ _re_ because the answer mattered not.

He melted now as he’d melted then, kissing Thor back until they’d swallowed the salt of the sea and were left with only the taste of each other.

Thor’s grip on Loki’s wrist slowly loosened, but as he moved to wrap an arm around his brother instead, Loki suddenly broke off their kiss and jerked out of his grasp.

Neither _when_ nor _where_ nor _want_ mattered as much as _why_ they hadn’t kissed like this in so long. The _why_ was complicated and Loki wasn’t about to throw all of his slighted feelings and dedicated convictions out the window without even a _conversation_ about it. One they could have had this morning. Or last night. Or last year. Or -

“Loki-” Thor started, his brow furrowing in confusion as he watched a tangled mess of emotions play out across his brother’s face. He lifted one hand to reach for him again, but Loki turned and dove smoothly under the waves, eventually surfacing a few feet away.

Stomping out of the hip-deep water with a swiftly hammering heart, Loki pushed his tangled hair out of his face and tried to rein his feelings in, knowing Thor wouldn’t be far behind him. The one towel at their set-up wasn’t going to do much for the sopping mess of his clothes and he couldn’t magic himself dry in a crowd this big, so he bypassed their rented set-up and headed straight for the hotel instead.

Thor was right behind as he crossed the boardwalk, now full to bursting with people talking, laughing, yelling, shopping, playing games, eating sweets, music blaring over the loudspeakers -

_o/~ Hurt so good  
Come on baby make it hurt so good  
Sometimes love don't feel like it should  
You make it hurt so good ~/o_

\- a cacophony of sound, but still not as loud as in the inside of Loki’s own mind. This whole excursion was an awful idea that he never should have indulged. He took the stairs two at a time with Thor on his heels, but neither of them spoke a word until the door had closed soundly behind them.

“You kissed me back,” Thor’s words were somewhere between a question and an accusation, but there was no mistaking the wounded rejection in his tone.

“I… I did...” Loki murmured, pausing halfway to the bathroom, hating the twisting tightness in his chest.

Thor didn’t miss the hitch in Loki’s breathing despite them not being face to face and it was difficult to restrain the urge to reach for him again. “...but you stopped.”

Water dropped from the hem of Loki’s shorts, puddling on the tops of his bare feet and overrunning, off the sides and onto the floor in the lingering silence. He knew that Thor was asking for an explanation, an answer, a reason, and Loki was loathe to give any of them. Why should he? “...you’re not being serious,” he finally settled on, hoping Thor would simply let the matter drop. Wasn’t it time for them to be heading home anyway?

“What about that wasn’t serious?” Thor’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and this time he did reach out, letting his hand land heavy on Loki’s shoulder.

Loki shrugged him off by turning sharply and back-stepping, crossing his arms over his chest as he fought to keep his temper in check. “Must you be so obtuse?”

Thor’s voice grew tighter at the insult as he snapped back, worry crawling down his spine. “Will you please elaborate?”

“...you want to do this again?” Loki spat out, feeling the heat rise in his face as tears prickled the edges of his eyes. “ _Really?_ ”

“Do _what_?” Thor raked a hand through his messy hair, hating the sinking lead in his gut that came with Loki’s tears. It always meant he’d done something wrong _,_ but if he didn’t know what it was, how could he possibly try to fix it? “I thought we were here to escape, to have a bit of fun together!”

“ _Fun!”_ Loki stomped his bare foot as practically snarled the word. “Well, if all you want is an easy fuck, _Brother_ , then have the nerve to just come out and _say_ so.”

“That’s not…” Thor gaped at Loki’s angry expression as if the words had physically stabbed him, knowing that his brother had effectively trapped him. There was no way he could say he _d_ _id_ _n’t_ want Loki when the opposite was already obvious, but readily agreeing with Loki’s statement wasn’t the whole truth either. Such a thing didn’t grant any depth to what he really thought about Loki, their relationship, their time together… but did his brother, his very best friend, think so little of him? Of their bond? Frustrated and hurt by the implication, his voice rose as he roared, “Nothing’s ever _easy_ with you, Loki!”

Thor regretted the words immediately as he watched Loki flinch, a flash of hurt in his favorite green eyes before his little brother spun on his heel and marched into the bathroom. The door closed behind him with the quiet click of a lock and somehow that was infinitely worse than if he’d slammed it.

On the other side of the wall between then, Loki turned on the shower as his sopping, sandy clothing dissolved, letting the rushing sound of the water drown out the hot flood of his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (...don't worry. Next chapter is a sugar rush.)


End file.
